Pain Management

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Pain Management

At Piedmont Cancer Center we believe it is very important to manage or eliminate pain that you may experience. An evaluation by a Piedmont doctor can provide information about your pain in order to approach your care in the most effective way. Our goal is to familiarize you and your family with options available for pain relief and provide the care you need and want.

Cancer can cause pain by affecting tissue near the cancer. This pain may be because of the primary cancer or from other areas in the body where the cancer has spread. It is possible that a tumor can place pressure on nerves, bones or other organs, causing pain.

In addition, cancer pain may be result from:

Poor blood circulation

Blockage of an organ or canal in the body

Metastasis (cancer cells that have spread to other sites in the body)

Infection or inflammation

Side effects from chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery

Stiffness from inactivity

Psychological responses to tension, depression or anxiety

Pharmacological pain management for cancer refers to the use of medications. At Piedmont, you will find experts that can offer several pain management options for any procedure that may be painful, such as a bone marrow aspiration or lumbar puncture, or for managing any type of pain you are experiencing throughout your cancer journey.

A non-pharmacological pain approach is the management of pain without medications and may include education and psychological counseling. Not knowing what to expect with cancer treatment is very stressful. However, if you are prepared and can anticipate what will happen, your stress level will be much lower, and your pain experience also may be reduced.

Because pain is an individual experience and perception of pain can be different from person to person, a personalized approach is recommended. Resources available at Piedmont will allow us to work closely with you to prepare a comprehensive plan. Not all cancer pain or symptoms can be entirely eliminated, but the state-of-the-art care available at Piedmont can effectively relieve pain in most patients.

Contact us to learn more about our pain management teams as well as additional help provided by Cancer Wellness at Piedmont that may include massage, exercise and acupuncture, and psychosocial interventions, including relaxation and imagery, distraction and reframing, patient education, psychotherapy and structured support.